If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Mandibuzz is an overlooked new 5th generation pokemon with good defensive stats, OK typing, decent speed, and most importantly a good recovery move with Roost. Furthermore, Overcoat gives it viability as a teammate for Sand and Hail teams since it doesn't have to worry about weather damage. It works best in lower tiers thanks to the reduced amount of Steel opponents; however, the only non-OU weather starter is Hippopotas in UU. I'm going to focus on UU threats to it.

On weather teams, one of its advantages it its uncommon typing, being one of the few non-Ground/Rock/Steel types that fit on a Sand team (or Ice on Hail).

For items: Always use Leftovers.

Abilities: Overcoat is clearly its best ability, as it offers an immunity to weather. Not as good as Magic Guard, but there's pokemon with worse.

Teammates: Mandi appreciates someone who can set up entry hazards for the opponent as it adds extra damage, plus she can force switches with Whirlwind, raking up damage. Hippopotas can start Sand in UU for it, and in higher tiers Tyranitar, Hippodown, and Abomasnow have autoweather abilities. Rapid Spin support is appreciated thanks to its typing. Ground type teammates can help absorb Rock and Electric attacks aimed at it. It can also pair well with a Steel or Rock type and switch into Ground (and to an extent Fighting) attacks aimed at them.

Counters: Four things Mandibuzz hates: Steels, Poison types, Magic Bounce, and Taunt. Steel and Poison type pokemon are immune to Toxic, Mandibuzz's best form of damage; best plan is to Whirlwind then away. Magic Bounce (namely from Xatu) makes Mandibuzz dead weight, as Toxic, Whirlwind, and Taunt are reflected back. Taunt prevents Toxic and Roost recovery, and Mandibuzz lacks the offensive stats to do much damage to anything neutral and doesn't have a move like Seismic Toss or Night Shade.

Ablities:
Big Pecks: Basiclly useless. Now you are protected from leer.
Overcoat: Protects you from weather, usefull on hail and sand teams.
DW Weak Armor: You defense goes down when hit, but your speed goes up. Because this guy is more of a wall, with 110 hp / 105 def / 95 sp.def it will not get that much use.

Basic Stallbreaker. Roost to recover health from SR damage and random hits you take. Taunt to prevent Refresh, Heal Bell, Aromatherapy, and Rest/Recover/Softboiled/any other recovery move. Toxic to Badly Poison walls, Knock Off to mess up Pokemon that need their item to do anything (i.e. Chansey, Tangela, Porygon2, Choiced Mons that need an item for speed or damage like Banded Dragonite who might attempt a switch on a Taunt)

Brave Bird/Fly wont do a lot of damage, but it´s a way to take some HP. Fly is great: gives one turn without damage and more toxic damage (toxic is the best way to take damage). This is a great wall, but with a better movepool it would be a great pokemon

Thanks to Mandi's natural bulk, it can easily get in multiple boosts with Nasty Plot, and heal off damage with Roost. This set is meant for the lower tiers, for in higher ones it is outclassed. You'll usually need at least 2 boosts to sweep. Air Slash is a STAB move, but can be replaced with HP Fighting so Steels won't wall you as badly. Dark Pulse and HP Fighting have near perfect coverage together, but Taunt can be used so you won't have to worry about entrys, status, taunts, and all that.

Credit to FrostStorm for the banner; YOU ARE MAJESTIC FROSTSTORM

3DSFC: 4940 6396 1803

"Because I am the man... who made a typo in his own name while registering..."

I would recommend 4-8 speed EVs to outspeed other Mandibuzz's, possibly Dragonites, possibly Brelooms, etc. (Even though it's rare, I don't expect you to really miss those 8 EVs when you taunt a different Mandibuzz). Unless of course, it's in a trick room team.

well it is a UU version of skarmory without spikes and a lot weaker, Brave Bird is STAB and prevent being taunt bait (might 0Hko hitnonlee... not sure), Roost heals damage, Whirlwind phazes set up stuff and spreads toxic, will o wisp shut down those physical sweepers for the rest of the match (or till rest/heal bell is activated)

need to be used with stealthrock or spikes to work effectively
no sure about EVs but I always spread it

I wouldn't say Mandibuzz is bad, but I will say it is weird. It's a completely different beast compared to Honchkrow. Mandibuzz does have the tools for the job as a defensive Pokemon or a bulky Nasty Plot set.
As far as abilities are concerned, Overcoat is the way to go. There are not many moves that drop your defense stat, making Big Pecks kinda pointless and Weak Armor is not something a defensive Pokemon should be using.

While a base 55 special attack is nothing to boast about, Mandibuzz can pull off a surprise offensive with Nasty Plot. Dark Pulse and Air Slash are the attacks to use. The last slot depends on what you want. Roost gives Mandibuzz staying power while Tailwind can support your team while enhancing Mandibuzz's offensive. If you want both, Air Slash is the best move to drop for Roost. If you want both attacking moves, leave Tailwind support to someone else if you really want Roost.

Other options:
Whirlwind is a phazing move that Mandibuzz can make great use of alongside Toxic. It would be better if Mandibuzz could set up entry hazards, but Whirlwind is still a good move to use.
Incinerate can destroy berries.
Same goes for Pluck.
While Brave Bird is a strong STAB move to use, the recoil is a turn off for Mandibuzz. If a solid offensive is what you want, better to run Nasty Plot.

Yes! Mandibuzz!

I love this set. It is a good support set for one of the bost defensive flying types in the game. BIG PECKS ensures that physical pokemon do not make it easy for themselves. Overcoat is ok, but leftovers and roost can deal with the damage from hail and sandstorm.

TOXIC: Start with this, to give constant damage

PROTECT: Stalls the foe's attacks, and gives you a free turn to heal with leftovers and for the poison to take more effect.

ROOST: Useful for when you have just used protect, and you need to heal. The lack of flying type for the rest of the turn may give you an advantage.

FLY: Like protect, it provides a stall turn, in which you heal and posion does damage. It also stops you from being Taunt bait.

The only kinda set she should run cos of her poor offences. Toxic is her main for of damage which when combined with Sandstorm or Hail and Entry Hazards can really hurt the opponent badly. Whirlwind can be use to exploit this. Taunt is to stop opposing walls setting up on her. Because of her weakness to stealth rocks and their ever presence U-turn may be bad but allows her to scout out to a rapid spinner if you have one that is. Roost shakes off the stealth rock damage and prolongs her stay even more in general thanks to leftovers too. Brave Bird is there to stop her from being taunt bait plus it's base 120 power + STAB this vulture mama might deal some nice damage too.

Other options:

Nasty Plot: Allows a special offence set which would Probably be good if wasn't for her Sp.Atk base of 55.

Defog: If you are, for some reason, unable to have a rapid spinner in your team, this vulture mama can take on that role with Defog with its similar effect. It also removes opposing teams Safeguard, Mist, Light Screen and Reflect too and lowers Evasion. Bonus! * *(Will likely need to replace 4th slot move)

Fly: Helps stall toxic and that's about it. It can replace Brave Bird as an attacking move but if you're already taunted and the target is not poisoned it's probably not worth it.

Jolly Nature: If you are confident in Mandibuzz's natural Defences then you can have her jolly so she can taunt opposing walls easier as they most likely have little or now Speed investment.

Defog: If you are, for some reason, unable to have a rapid spinner in your team, this vulture mama can take on that role with Defog with its similar effect. It also removes opposing teams Safeguard, Mist, Light Screen and Reflect too and lowers Evasion. Bonus! * *(Will likely need to replace 4th slot move)

Pretty much the only Mandibuzz you will ever see, but it's the best and it's good at what it does: wall. Toxic is really the best way to deal any real consistent damage with Mandi's mediocre offensive marks, while Roost lets you outstall the opposition. Brave Bird is Mandi's strongest STAB move; it stops you from becoming completely helpless against fast Taunters (like Crobat) and you can just Roost off the recoil damage. The last slot depends on your own taste—Taunt can shut down other walls, Whirlwind is good for stat-boosters and if you have entry hazards set up, Knock Off can screw over things that rely on items (Choice users and their Bands/Scarfs, walls and their Leftovers, NFEs and their Eviolites, etc.).

*Hippowdon would make a good partner for Mandibuzz. It's Ground-typing can stand up against Electric and Rock attacks, making it an effective shield against two of Mandi's weaknesses, it can instantly create a sandstorm (good with Overcoat) and can reliably set up Stealth Rock. Claydol is good too for similar reasons, and it can Spin away the opposition's Stealth Rock, which, as a wall, Mandi hates. Something that can take Ice-type attacks is recommended to add to you team because the vulture and the hippo are weak to Ice.

This makes Mandi more of a team player. Start with Tailwind and use U-Turn to both damage the opponent and switch to a slow but powerful counter, like Swampert, Ursaring, whatever you wish. Roost off any damage taken from Brave Bird if you think you can really nail something on your own. Taunt makes it even safer for sweepers to come in because it guarantees the opposition can't hit you with any Thunder Waves, Will-o-Wisps, etc.

Really more of a novelty set for Mandi's mediocre offensive power, and because Honchkrow hits way harder with it but the vulture still at least has the move pool (and she's must sturdier than the boss raven). Nasty Plot raises Mandi's Sp. Attack to, respectable, levels, Air Slash and Dark Pulse offer special STABS, and both are powerful with a chance to flinch the opponent. Roost off any damage taken and proceed to sweep. I suggest pairing this set with something that can break through Steel-types or those armored annoyances can stand in your way all day.

Mandibuzz can get a base power of 120 not including STAB. Not only that but she can increase the amount of damage done to the opponent when it gets hurt in its confusion. Mandibuzz can also use Flatter. Sableye, Vullaby and Mandibuzz are the only ones that can pull of this combo of Swagger, Flatter, and STAB Punishment. However, Mandibuzz is better due to its high HP and Defenses, therefore it's able to take a hit.

Bone Rush is a must have since it can cover both of Mandibuzz's weaknesses.

Although Mandibuzz's Attack is higher, Mandibuzz has access to both Nasty Plot and Fake Tears. It's Sp. Attack isn't much lower so it can benefit to have a Special Mandibuzz, though your movepool will be limited.

Manibuzz is one of my favorite 5th generation Pokemon!! Overcoat gives it protection and it has some decent moves. Brave Bird and Punishment get STAB. You could do Air Slash and Dark Pulse if you wanted to go special. Steel Wing gives coverage to its Rock and Ice weaknesses. You can do Taunt, Roost, or even Bone Rush for your Electric weakness. Bone Rush just won't do much.

Mandibuzz is a good defensive flying type pokemon that are rare... Aside from lugia I don't remember any other flying type beind defensive... (Maybe noctowl)! So that alone gives it some uniqueness.

The downside, being defensive really hinders it's movepool... Forced to use mainly defensive strategies because of it's lackluster attacks, it is reduced to some decent sets! You can say that makes it pretty predictable and easy to counter.

It's abilities are all also defensively inclined in some sort:
-Big pecks prevent reducing defenses (Can be good on mandibuzz but defense lowering attacks are rare and no abilities do this effect)
-Overcoat is the best... it puts mandi on any team!
-Weak armor sacrifices it's defenses for speed on each hit. (Although I think that's a bad idea... Maybe it's good on a disruptive set)

It has some other otions like Tailwind to use in doubles or triples and Mean look can trap some other pokemon that might switch out on your sight especially psychic and fighting types. Knock off can cripple a tank or a sweeper, Brave bird is a strong attack but that wouldn't matter cz you have very low ATT stat! Substitute also works well, Embargo is also a good choice that can cripple some pokemon, you can also taunt or Torment.

Really to me U-turn is the only decent attacking move you got and that is only when you got taunted!

Mandibuzz is sort of a weird Pokemon. Her preevolution has the honor of being designed by an American. She is also exclusively female, and can only be found in Pokemon Black. Still, this bone-obsessed Pokemon has a special place in my heart, since her pre-evo was the first shiny 5th gen Pokemon I got (hatched via the Mesuda Method).

Mandibuzz presents herself as a defensive Pokemon right from the start. Great base 110 HP, good base 105 Defense and base 95 Sp. Defense, and access to Roost are all pluses for her in that department. Her typing also isn't too bad for defense, as she has two useful immunities (Psychic and Ground) and three resistances. A decent base 80 Speed rounds up the defensive package nicely, allowing her to Roost and Taunt before her opponent. On the downside, her Flying typing means she loses 1/4 of her HP to Stealth Rocks every time she switches in, so a Spinner is recommended if you use her.

Unfortunately, like many defensive Pokemon, there is so much devotion to her defenses that there is nearly nothing left for her offenses. With only base 65 Attack, even her Brave Birds won't be doing much to anything besides what they hit supereffectively. She's even worse on the special side, with only base 55 Sp. Attack, although she does get Nasty Plot. Still, there's no room for a move like that on a defensive set.

Mandibuzz's abilities aren't the best out there, but they could be worse. Overcoat is probably the best choice. It protects her from all weather damage, i.e. Sandstorm and Hail damage. This gives her a niche on teams that revolve around weather, allowing some type variation in the team. Big Pecks is relatively useless, but it does give Mandibuzz defensive insurance against Crunch and allows her to switch into Screech abusers. Weak Armor, her Hidden Ability, is probably the worst of the three. Every time Mandibuzz is hit with an attack, her Speed increases by one level, but her Defense decreases one level. Such an ability could be used if you decided to use an offensive Mandibuzz.

Your typical Mandibuzz set probably will look like this.

Brave Bird
Roost
Toxic
Taunt/Whirlwind/Knock Off

Brave Bird is Mandibuzz's strongest attack, but she still will be doing only nominal damage against those who resist it and enemies with good defense in general. That's why Toxic is there. Roost keeps you nice and healthy, and the fourth move is for support. As I stated before, Mandibuzz's decent speed means she can move before a number of other walls and Taunt them to keep them from doing any healing. On the other hand, Whirlwind allows Mandibuzz to phaze and become a great Toxi-shuffler. Knock Off removes the foe's item, which is always useful. It all depends on what you want Mandibuzz to do and how your team is built. As for EVs, you will want max HP for sure. You can focus on one defense, or make Mandibuzz a mixed wall. A little Speed investment can also be useful.

Countering Mandbuzz: Stealth Rocks really reduce the bone vulture's bulk, so try to have those up. If Mandibuzz lacks Taunt, poisoning her with Toxic is a great idea, as she will eventually fall to it. Taunting her is also a good idea, as it completely cripples her. Steel-types will send her running for the hills, as she can literally do nothing to them. Magneton and Magnezone are particularly effective, as they 4X resist her main attack and can hurt her a lot with Thunderbolt. The Magic Bounce ability also counters Mandibuzz completely.

I need to emphasize that it is quite difficult to OHKO this bird. If I recall correctly, mine actually survived a Swords Dance-boosted Outrage from a Garchomp with a little HP to spare. So do not underestimate her bulk at all.

Pre-evolution corner: Vullaby is one of the faster Little Cup Pokemon, with base 60 Speed. She also has great bulk, especially combined with Eviolite, and a decent defensive typing. By Little Cup standards, her offenses aren't too shabby, either. She has Nasty Plot to set up with, and there's also a cool mixed Scarf set on Smogon that I thought was interesting. I haven't seen a lot of her, possibly because she looks goofy, but she is a force to be reckoned with.

Mandibuzz is a good defensive flying type pokemon that are rare... Aside from lugia I don't remember any other flying type beind defensive... (Maybe noctowl)! So that alone gives it some uniqueness.

You forgot one of the best walls there... skarmory!

movepool lacks: sesmic toss/night shade, thunderbolt, baton pass,will o wisp
and that's all.. if it get one of those it will be better it is still good but steels are just too dangerous to it... entry hazards + whirlwind can work but don't use it inOU you got skarmory...